April 29, 2015 - The Houston Police Department wants to remind citizens how to retrieve unclaimed property from the HPD Property Room and offer tips on how to mark your valuables should they be stolen.

The Property Division can only release items when a property release form is authorized by a police officer from the division investigating your case.

The following steps are required for the retrieval process:

1. You must first make contact with an investigator from the concerned division to determine whether the property is authorized for release. (Generally, authorization comes from a court or the investigator when the property is no longer necessary for law enforcement purposes).

2. The Property Release Form MUST BE COMPLETED and SIGNED by the investigator from the concerned division prior to picking up property. Once the form is completed and signed, it is given to the citizen or faxed to Property Division.

3. Property Division personnel do not have the authority to release any property unless steps 1 and 2 are completed.

You MUST have current identification such as:

• Any government ID, including official Police ID
• State Issued ID (ex., Driver’s License or ID Card)
• Student ID
• Passports
• Inmate ID

HPD Property Division Lieutenant O. Orekoya discusses how to Help Us, Help You simplify the property retrieval process and how to best mark your property on the HPD YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/jJp1OCdLUxs

If you do not have an ID, we will accept the Property Release Record with authorization from the investigating division stating they have verified your identity. The statement “no identification” must be written on the release form by the authorizing division.

For more information, visithttps://www.houstontx.gov/police/divisions/property_division/ or call the HPD Property Division at 832-394-4000.

HPD's "Help Us, Help You" campaign is aimed at sharing information and educating citizens on crime prevention and everyday tips related to public safety in our city.